For the first time in 11 years of gardening here, I am having a
problem with chipmunks gnawing/eating/stealing tomatoes.

I have tried putting mousetraps around the plants, but obviously they
can sidestep them. They easily get through chicken wire, too.

Anyone have any ideas?

Boron

Boron Elgar wrote:

For the first time in 11 years of gardening here, I am having a
problem with chipmunks gnawing/eating/stealing tomatoes.

I have tried putting mousetraps around the plants, but obviously they
can sidestep them. They easily get through chicken wire, too.

Anyone have any ideas?

Feed them somethign else?

Seems like when nature gets desperate they'll eat anything and nothing
short of killing them off will stop them--unless they get food THAT
ISN'T your tomatoes.

I've got tons of birds and squirrels and a few chipmunks and none of
them touch anything in the garden or any of the neighbors that I know
of that garden. Others complain of birds pecking open tomatoes. When
hungry or thirsty they will go after anything.

Boron

DiGiTAL ViNYL (no email)
Zone 6b/7, Westchester Co, NY, 1 mile off L.I.Sound
2nd year gardener
http://members.aol.com/DigitalVinyl66/Garden2004.html

"Boron Elgar" wrote in message
...
For the first time in 11 years of gardening here, I am having a
problem with chipmunks gnawing/eating/stealing tomatoes.

I have tried putting mousetraps around the plants, but obviously
they
can sidestep them. They easily get through chicken wire, too.

Anyone have any ideas?

Boron

You might try traps. We use the Hav-A-Hart trap, a small one sized for
chipmunks. Chipmunks are inherently curious and will enter the trap to
see what is in there. We use peanuts as bait, but in some cases no
bait is necessary. We have caught 14 this year; unfortunately, more to
come.

We are also experiencing chipmunks this year as never before, meaning
27 years in our case. What give with chipmunks all of a sudden?

Guy Bradley
Chesterfield MO
zone 6

"Boron Elgar" wrote in message
...
For the first time in 11 years of gardening here, I am having a
problem with chipmunks gnawing/eating/stealing tomatoes.

I have tried putting mousetraps around the plants, but obviously
they
can sidestep them. They easily get through chicken wire, too.

Anyone have any ideas?

Boron

You might try traps. We use the Hav-A-Hart trap, a small one sized for
chipmunks. Chipmunks are inherently curious and will enter the trap to
see what is in there. We use peanuts as bait, but in some cases no
bait is necessary. We have caught 14 this year; unfortunately, more to
come.

We are also experiencing chipmunks this year as never before, meaning
27 years in our case. What give with chipmunks all of a sudden?

Guy Bradley
Chesterfield MO
zone 6

A "master" gardner just told me yesterday that human hair keeps squirrels
away. Don't know about the stripped rats. Maybe works for them.
LUK